The Roads We Take
by Meliganes
Summary: A series of unrelated writings for Tumblr's Helsa week
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story is a series of writings based on the prompts for Tumblr's Helsa week. **

** Prompt for day 1 - Falling For You. Elsa slowly struggles with her growing feelings for Hans.**

The feelings swirling within her grew slowly, so slowly that at first she did not even notice them. It began in trivial seemingly innocent ways. Her heart would warm as he pressed a lingering kiss to her cheek in the dead of night. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as he approached her.

It was easy enough to ignore them in the beginning. Occasionally she would pretend to be asleep after one of their 'meetings'. She would let him hold her and listen to him sleep, enjoying the warmth of his embrace. _It doesn't mean anything,_ she convinced herself. In her blissful state it was easier to push her thoughts aside and curl into him for the night than it was to deny herself this small pleasure.

Morning was always a cruel awakening. In the daylight it was not as easy to disregard the affections turning her. She would leave him then, without word or note. The previous night she tended to blame on solitude and a need for release. _Conceal, don't feel. _Those days were spent as far from his as she could manage, but each night she found him again. And like a feather drifting towards the ground, she fell for him.

His lips were always what she missed first. She longed for their soft pink sweetness against hers, their hot kiss against her skin. His taste was indescribable. It became a drug that she craved. In her moments of loneliness and withdrawal she could almost feel them against her neck, brushing her ear as he whispered to her.

She hungered for his hands. The rough callouses tickling her satiny skin as he showed her how much he had missed her. Thinking of his smart fingers skillfully unfastening the ties of her dress made her blush and long for him. She looked to her hands and couldn't help, but remember the way his seemed to fit hers perfectly. But what she loved most about his hands was the softness they took when he played with her hair on the nights she stayed with him.

As her attachments to him grew she missed his eyes, the way the green pools darkened when he looked at her. She loved their color, the flecks of green and blue hiding in them. The understanding that hid within them shocked her. They never lied to her. It scared her sometimes how much of herself she could see reflected in them. Far more terrifying was the feeling of safety that overcame her when she discovered herself in them.

The more she indulged herself, the more she could not endure the distance between them. She yearned for his smooth burgundy hair between her fingers. She craved his smile and the high she felt when he shared it with her. On the nights she couldn't sleep, she hungered for his warmth next to her. She even longed to hear his quiet snoring.

She hated suffering her nightmares alone and wished he was always there to wake her from them, to soothe her. During their nights together he would wrap himself around her and whisper to her, his velvety voice calming her, pulling her back to reality. He was her anchor back to the world. In her solitary state she hated herself for being so weak as to want him to hold her. _You don't need him._

Realizing the deep root of her feelings, she struggled to cut them out. _He can't know._ She spent a week away from him. Each day was grimmer than the last, each night, colder. Her emotions fought against her. She tried to hate him. He had nearly killed her and her sister a lifetime ago. Now he had broken her. She should hate him for those crimes. She wished she could, but every time she closed her eyes she saw his perfect smile, his eyes showing her the way he truly felt. She abided the distance as best as she could, but his gravity pulled her to him no matter how she resisted.

On the seventh night she could stay away no longer. She searched until she found him sleeping in his room. Sealing the door behind her, she watched him. Her stomach knotted itself as she watched his chest rise and fall. Her heart sped up as she stepped closer. Catching sight of his shirt on the table, adrenaline pulsed through her. Before she could change her mind, she untied her dress, threw it on the floor, and slipped into the plain white button up.

The shirt was still warm from its' previous wearer. His familiar scent overwhelmed her. "Hans," the name a sigh against her lips. Suddenly everything was still. She was calm, safe. The quiet was broken by a small snore from the man across the room. A grin crept onto her lips.

Tiptoeing across the room, she approached the bed. She pulled back the blankets, revealing his shirtless form. She gasped slightly, still entranced by him. The moments hesitation caused her to lose her nerve. _This was a bad idea._ She turned to leave, but the floorboard beneath her squeaked, betraying her. The noise woke him. He blinked slowly, taking in the woman before him. "Elsa? I didn't think you would come back." He sat up and reached for her. She sat down next to him, hesitantly.

"I didn't either." He caught her hand with his, intertwining their fingers, and pressed it to his lips making her shudder. "I tried, but it seems I can't escape you."

Hans smiled all thoughts of sleep disappearing. His eyes bore into hers. "I'm glad." He puled her to him, catching her lips in a kiss. She fell into him, her fears forgotten. His hands grazed her side bringing him to notice what she was wearing. He chuckled as he took her in and began working with the buttons. "You should keep this one, it looks good on you." She hummed in response. Popping the last button, he freed it from her arms and threw it to the floor. "But right now, I think I like it better on the floor. "

She laughed as he pressed a kiss to her throat. Twisting her fingers into his hair, she pulled his mouth back up to hers. All of the unsaid words between them they each poured into the kiss. Words he wasn't ready to say, and she wasn't ready to hear.

They both knew they couldn't remain buried forever. One day he would tell her. One day she would let herself love him.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Prompt Day 2 - Fire and Ice. Hans and Elsa consider the things they've heard about the other against how they see them.**

Anna said he was a fire, that he burnt everything he touched leaving behind ashes, wounds, and anger for letting him close enough to scorch you. She had believed that her sister was cross for letting the man that had previously broken her heart near her and taken it as a joke, founded in his crimson hair. In his presence she discovered the truth. Anna was right; he was a fire, blazing hot and bright. It blinded Elsa when she was with him. No one existed except the two of them. His touch set off an inferno in her veins. Her blood ran hot, her face flushed white as the hottest fire. But even as his hands like flames licked up the side of her body, she could find no regret for getting so close or fear of burn. His fire was passion and heat, everything she had missed in the cold, quiet years of her life.

His brothers made fun of her, calling her the Ice Queen. She was not cold to him. No, she was life. She was the first deep breath on a crisp winter morning, waking you and filling you all at once. Her fingers tracing his muscles were a cool jolt igniting his skin with her electricity. As her chilling lips worked against his all of the clutter in his mind would clear, filling him entirely with the awareness of her. Her touch was not frozen to him; instead it was soft and invigorating like the year's first snow. She reminded him that he was alive. This queen of ice was more than he could have dreamed of and everything he never knew he needed.

In their silent moments together everything became evident. Yes, their siblings we're right. One was heat and blaze, the other cool and frosty, but they were not able to understand the balance they found in each other. Fire could not burn ice, nor could ice freeze out the fire. When the two elements collided there was no destruction, only steam.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Prompt Day 3 - Lost All Control. Elsa and Han's developing sexual relationship. (No real smut, but more T+)**

The first time they slept together, she told herself it was an accident. Honestly, she had never meant to let it happen. She could have never imagined it would happen. The traitor had returned for trade negotiations. Each day he sat across from her at the large table and smirked. He was rude. She hated him and tried to be cold, but there was something about the way that he looked at her that set her on fire. _Asshole,_ she muttered under her had been battling for power for days. Every proposal she presented was countered with a clever remark and that _stupid grin_ on his face. For days she dealt with it until, one afternoon he approached her after the rest of the council had cleared out. The notes she had hastily scribbled were gathered in her arms before she turned and ran straight into him. The papers fluttered to the floor. "Sorry," he offered, lacking all the sincerity of a true apology. Finally, she lost her control and decided to slap the smirk off of him. He caught her wrist tightly, before throwing her arm to the side and grabbing her, pulling her to him. Their lips collided with bruising force. His hands circled her waist. Before she knew it her fingers were lost tugging on his hair and then they were battling for dominance lying on top of the table.

It hadn't been anything like what she had dreamed her first time would be. Her dress, her _favorite dress_, was ripped up the side. She was too ashamed to ask her handmaiden to mend it for her. After they had finished, she had been forced to sneak back to her room, holding the fabric together, praying no one would find. The next morning bruises decorated her sides, her arms, her legs. She ached for days. Her one consolation was that Hans looked far worse than she did. She'd managed to sneak a bite onto his neck above the top of his collar. At their meeting the next morning he winced as he sat down in his chair and barely moved or spoke throughout the gathering. For the rest of the day, Elsa could not wipe the smile off of her face.

Four days later, she passed him in the hall on the way to her room. Without a second thought, she greedily pulled him into one of the maid's closets. While the first time had been angry, this time was selfish, each of them chasing their own release. When she was done with him, she left him there and returned to her room. This time she admired the bruises he had left behind as a parting gift.

A week after that, negotiations were going poorly again. Simply looking at him made her blood boiling, but instead of making her want to hit him again, it settled lower in her stomach making her ache. She followed him to his room that evening. He was hungrier this time, ravishing her. His hands took in every inch of her body and when she left him that night, he looked as though he almost felt _abandoned_.

They continued on in that manner for a month. As the trade agreement was near to being finished, they argued more in the meetings. By now Elsa was in the habit of finding her way to his room nearly every night. They were both much calmer now, taking their time to get what they needed from the other, neither in a rush for it to end. After they finished he held her loosely, afraid of holding her too tightly, afraid of letting her go. She indulged herself in his embrace for a moment before leaving once more, ignoring the heartache building every time she walked out his door. There was only one thought that kept her from giving in altogether: Anna.

At last, the papers were finalized and it was time for the delegates to return home. He did not wait for her to come to him that night, instead he found her lingering in her room. That night he bruised her, bit her. He was as forceful and rough as he could be without hurting her. Locked in the other's embrace, they drifted off to sleep. Before he left in the morning he bent down and kissed her forehead softly, sadly. They both knew she wouldn't see him off. They both knew this was the end. When she awoke she stood in front of her mirror and admired the marks he had left her with, wishing they could be burned into her skin, just as he was into her heart.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Prompt Day 4 - It's Complicated. Anna finds a mysterious mark on her sister while all of the neighboring kingdom's princes are visiting for a festival. **

"It's nothing. You don't need to worry." Elsa tried to reassure her sister as she hastily pulled her hair over her shoulder.

Anna stood and crossed her arms, refusing to be so easily pacified, "I know you still think of me as your baby sister, and maybe I am somewhat naïve, but I know what that is!" Elsa gave Anna a challenging look, "not from personal experience of course, but-" the girl's face reddened, "wait I don't have to explain myself to _you_. _You're_ the one with a huge bite mark on her neck!"

Elsa fought to conceal the blush burning her cheeks. "It's not what you think. It's-"

The brunette cut her off using the calmest voice she could muster, "Just tell me who it is so I can be happy for you and I'll forget all about _that_." She gestured toward the mark, "I knew you seemed different lately and with all of the princes from the other kingdoms here for the festival I hoped you would find someone. I mean it was really only a matter of time, so just tell me already!"

"It's not like that really… It's complicated." Elsa searched for any explanation that would keep her from having to tell the truth as Anna rolled her eyes. "There's nothing to tell." The conviction in her voice was painful. "It's nothing serious, don't get your hopes up and turn it into more than it is." She desperately wished her sister would drop the subject, all of these questions just planted doubts in her head, but the princess sat down on the bed and folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me." Blues eyes formed a sharp glare at the blonde.

"Fine, but I'm done talking. I have to get ready for the ball." Elsa turned from her and went to her wardrobe in search of her dress. Her eyes landed on a bundle of pink satin. She bit her lip hesitantly, her fingers traced down the material. Finally she nodded and pulled it from it's hiding place.

"Fine." Anna watched her, waiting for her to cave and tell her everything. She couldn't contain herself when she saw the dress her sister was planning on wearing, "Wow. It's beautiful. I've never seen something so elegant! You'll look like the queen of queens! Is it new?"

Elsa nodded her response her eyes never leaving the dress. It was pink and tight through the top and waist but flared at her hip into a full skirt. The intricate beaded pattern of snowflakes at the hem and waist sparkled in the light. She ran her hand over the satin and tiny pearl beading.

Carefully she braided her hair over her left shoulder. When she finished she secured it with a matching baby pink ribbon. She picked up the long, stunning dress from the chair and slipped it on over her slip. The color brightened her skin, brought out the pinks of her cheeks, and contrasted the bright blue of her eyes. It was breath taking. After pulling her arms through the elbow-length sleeves, she looked back to Anna. "If you're going to sit here, will you at least button me up?"

Anna fiddled with the tiny pearl buttons. As she finished the last button she pulled Elsa's braid from over her shoulder to pin it up for her, an apology blooming on her lips. "Elsa, you're right it's-" She caught sight of another mark behind her sister's ear. She shoved her forward and spun her around. Her eyes bore into Elsa's widening saphires. "Oh my gosh! There's another one! Seriously who is this guy?"

The queen pulled her braid back in place over her shoulder and buried her face in her hands, exasperated and embarrassed. "_He_ is no one. And I already told you, I am done talking about this with you."

"Well whoever he is, you better tell him to stop leaving marks all over you because you really don't have many dresses that can hide them." With a laugh Anna left to go get herself ready for the evening.

When Hans caught sight of Elsa at the ball he was speechless. He couldn't help his jaw from dropping a little. Discreetly, he made his way to her along the side of the room. Catching her from behind, he leaned to her ear. "I was right. You look wonderful in pink." Elsa blushed slightly as he took her hand and guided her onto a secluded balcony. "All of the princes are spreading rumors that a man gave this dress to you as a gift."

"All of the men?" She raised an eyebrow.

Hans reddened. "Maybe it was just one. Although I heard he was a very charming suitor of the queen." He lifted his chin and posed majestically.

"A suitor? That's rather formal and serious." She questioned with a smirk. "I don't know that calling the man my suitor is correct."

Hans raised one eyebrow, a grin playing on his lips. "What word you use, my queen?"

Elsa laughed airily. "I'm not sure. It's rather complicated. Obviously, since I wore the dress it demonstrates that I care for the person who gave it to me. And a gift this extravagant suggests expresses a certain level of fondness from the sender, but perhaps he is just trying to get in my good graces." She wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head u towards his, "I wonder if perhaps this man is more interested in removing the dress than seeing me wear it." Elsa smiled slyly.

Hans pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. He stared down at her, "Why, I have no idea what you're suggesting." He leaned down to kiss her neck, his sideburns tickling her, a girlish giggle burst from her lips. Hans whispered, "Does the queen not wish for me to remove her dress?" He nipped at her ear.

"Oh that reminds me. Anna said you need to stop biting me. She doesn't think I have enough dresses to hide the marks." Hans pulled back, horrified, his face reddening to match his hair. Elsa had to admit that putting up with Anna's curiosity was well worth the look on Hans' face. She couldn't contain the laughter that bubbled inside of her.

"You told Anna?" He questioned, unsure how to handle the conversation.

"Clearly she doesn't know that it's you, or you wouldn't be standing here in one piece. But someday, if this _suitor_ of mine wishes to continue seeing me, I will." Elsa studied him, gauging his response.

"Of course." He swallowed, attempting to regain his composure. "But perhaps we should wait until I have returned to the Southern Isles for that? For the sake of my life?"

Laughter spilled from her lips once more, "Anything for my suitor," her voice dripping with sarcasm. She pulled his lips down to meet hers. Their kiss was slow and longing, their lips betraying their hearts. When his lips drifted once again to her neck, she hummed encouragingly. Teeth grazed the soft skin, then suddenly Hans straightened to look at her. His green eyes dancing, darkening as he gazed at her. "I guess this means I'm going to need to buy you some more dresses."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Prompt Day 5 - Secrets, Lies, and Trust. An an abstract drabble.**

A queen. A traitor. A heated argument. A brush of the hands. A leap of the heart. A moment of weakness. A passionate kiss. A smile. A loss of fight. A hope bursting forth. A flash of regret. An agreement. A secret formed.

A betrayer. A sister. A confrontation. An accusation. A fear. A denial. A wedge forming between. A stab of guilt. A dilemma. A decision. A sudden loss. A deep pain. A lie.

A shattered heart. A single tear. A touch. A kiss. A strong embrace. A forgotten past. A stolen night. An understanding. A sense of safety. A new hope. A strange trust.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Prompt Day 6 - I'm Scared**. **Hans' comforts a struggling Elsa.**

The purple lounge chair in her study was her only solace. Elsa pulled her knees as close to her chest as she could manage and wrapped her arms around her stomach. The tears she had held in for months surged forth and shook her. The study became cold; ice curled over the furniture and coated the windows. The room was slowly covered in a layer of deep blue. She prayed no one would find her like this. "You can't let him see you like this," she chided herself between sobs. Hiccups wracked her body as she tried to reign in her tears. "Damn hormones," she muttered under her breath.

_What am I going to do? It's going to be here any day now. I'm not ready. What if-_ Her thoughts were cut off as the door swung up suddenly. The sight of deep red hair and a white tail coat gave away the intruder's identity. He marveled at the ice before turning to look at her, his eyes wide with fear. Even in this state, Elsa couldn't deny he was handsome. She nearly laughed. _Handsome? If he wasn't so handsome I wouldn't be in this mess in the first place._

Instead of laughing, the reminder of her current situation made her sob harder. Hans was struck by his wife's tears and rushed to her side. Kneeling in front of her, he examined her carefully. "Elsa, honey, what's wrong?"

Elsa shook her head, trying to slow her breathing and control the sobs as another hiccup burst forth. As gently as he could, Hans pulled her from the chair and into his lap on the floor. He cradled her into his chest and rubbed circles against her back, waiting for the hiccups to subside. After she finally quieted he tried again, "What's all of this about?"

"I was just thinking about the" her voice cracked, "–about the baby." Subconsciously, she shifted her hands to support her now large stomach. She looked up to Hans; her blue eyes filling with water once more. Behind the tears he could see fear and worry clearly marked within them. "What if he or she ends up like," she bit down on her bottom lip, a feeble attempt to contain her emotions, "Like me?" The floodgate released and she began crying once again.

Hans sighed, his heart breaking. He had been afraid this would happen. "Like you? What do you mean like you? You are the best person I know." He reached down to cup her face, wiping a tear away with his thumb. "You're the only person who was able to understand me and forgive me. You're the first person I've ever been able to love. You know everything about me and somehow still love me back. You're beautiful and funny. You're stubborn and stronger than anyone else I know. If our child ends up even a little like you, he or she will be the luckiest person in the world."

Elsa curled tighter into his arms. "You know that's not what I mean," she choked out between sobs. "I'm afraid that-"

A wave of determination swept over him. He shifted away from her slightly and set his jaw. "Look at me." She turned in his embrace to gaze into his eyes and found them steady and unwavering. His hands grabbed his shoulders, holding her in place. "I love you, all of you, including your powers. You are who you are because of them. If our little son or daughter happens to have them too, I'll love them all the more for it." He kissed her forehead. "I know that growing up and trying to handle it all was difficult for you, but this baby won't have to go through it alone. It'll have you." He paused to wipe a stray tear from her cheek. "And me too. Isn't love the answer to controlling them?" She nodded slowly. "Well I already love you and our future son or daughter more than I will ever know how to say. And I know, despite your fears, you do too. Any child with that much love will never have to be afraid of anything."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Prompt Day 7 - Thawing. Elsa tried her best to ice out the man who nearly destroyed her life once, but he slowly worked his way into her heart. **

It happened slowly.

As she was dressing one morning, she caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. A pale pink rose lay on the corner of her vanity. She ran it between her fingers, examining it. The sweet scent overtook her. She held it to her lips for a moment, breathing it in. On further inspection, she found there was no note attached, but there was a silver rose tied around the stem. In a moment she realized who had sent it to her and threw the offending object out the window, unwilling to have it in her presence any longer.

A knock on her door pulled her from her musings. Opening the door, she could find no one in the hallway. Starting to close the door, a small leather pouch caught her eye. Something about it seemed familiar to her, so she carried it back into the room. Reclining back in her chair, she opened it to find her favorite tea leaves tucked inside. "Jasmine," she sighed. "How did he know?" Just then, the door swung open and one of the maids entered. She gave her the pouch and told them to enjoy it before leaving the room to seek solace somewhere else.

A box of gourmet chocolates came next. They were expensive, she could tell. Her resolve was tempted and finally broken. "It couldn't hurt to eat them. It doesn't mean anything," she convinced herself. It was the first gift from him that she hadn't rejected. She couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face as the candy melted in her mouth.

It happened in small moments.

She fought to conceal her tears as she watched her sister dance with her new husband. The princess had never smiled as much as she had today, of that she was sure. The queen was immensely happy for her, but dreading losing her for several months while the couple honeymooned. Loneliness loomed over her. Her glass of champagne froze over at the thought. It was then that he found her. Without a word, he stood next to her and wove their fingers together. She was so grateful for the company she did not pull away.

Sitting in the kitchen floor, she reached for her tray of candy. Drowning her feelings in chocolate had sounded like a good idea, but now she had was a stomachache and the stress had not eased. Being responsible for a nation made for many restless nights. Setting the tray to the side, she rested her head back against the wall. Suddenly, he was there. "You going to share that?" She made no move, so he reached for them. Together, they finished the platter.

She made it to her father's study before she remembered what day it was. The portrait of her parent's loomed over her. Sliding to the floor, she pulled her knees to her chest and sobbed. Snowflakes hung in the air. Her sister had not returned yet, and she was forced to face this anniversary alone. He seemed to discover her on accident but, seeing the state that she was in, he sat next to her and pulled her to him. Her grief overcame any remaining anger she felt for him and she allowed herself to lean into his embrace.

Despite everything inside of her, she found her thoughts drifting to him in his absence. She dreamt of him frequently and found herself longing for him to hold her as he had that day in the study. She pushed her thoughts aside, unwilling to voice what she knew deeply within her. Somehow she had fallen for him. She could ice over the fjord on accident, but her heart was not so easily persuaded. No matter how she fought it, her frozen heart had thawed towards him.

Three years later he offered her one last present. It was more than she had ever expected. Her stomach dropped and she gasped. The diamond sparkled beneath her touch. Surprising everyone, including herself, she whispered a yes and he slid the ring into place. As he lifted and spun her, a smile took over. This time she did not fight it.

He had taken her by surprise, but as she walked down to find him at the end of the aisle she knew she wouldn't change a moment.


End file.
